July Newsletter 2019

CHURCH INFORMATION CHURCH STAFF Ross Shelton, Pastor

rshelton@fbc-brenham.org

Annette Guenther, Comptroller aguenther@fbc-brenham.org

Troy Sikes, Associate Pastor

tsikes@fbc-brenham.org

Donella Peevler, Church Receptionist

dpeevler@fbc-brenham.org

Charles Covin, Music Minister

ccovin@fbc-brenham.org

Jodi Beckendorf, Graphic Designer jbeckendorf@fbc-brenham.org

Chad Marrs, Minister to Students

cmarrs@fbc-brenham.org

Stephanie Sheffield, Custodian Manager

ssheffield@fbc-brenham.org

Alex Morrison, Minister to Children

amorrison@fbc-brenham.org

Nancy Jahns, School Administrator

njahns@fbcsbrenham.org

Stacey Strickland, Preschool Ministry

sstrickland@fbc-brenham.org

Kristie Mendoza, Mother’s Day Out Dir.

mdo@fbc-brenham.org

Teresa McGlasson, Office Manager

tmcglasson@fbc-brenham.org

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS: Mon - Thurs: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Fri: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm.

Brenham’s First Baptist Church Contact Info: Ph: (979) 836-2807 Fax: (979) 830-0122 info@fbc-brenham.org Mailing address: PO Box 600, Brenham, TX 77834

LINKS TO CHECK OUT ONLINE CHURCH WEBSITE: www.fbc-brenham.org CHURCH FACEBOOK PAGE: www.facebook.com/BrenhamsFirstBaptistChurch SCHOOL FACEBOOK PAGE: www.facebook.com/Brenhamfbcs 2

I N THI S I SSUE:

Special Announcements...................................................page Church-wide Calendar .....................................................page From the Pastor & Mother’s Day Out ............................page Music Ministry.....................................................................page Thank Yous, Sympathies & Piece Makers......................page Bible Studies and more ....................................................page Small Group, Big News & Encore Ministry....................page A Letter From Reba............................................................page Student Ministry ................................................................page Children’s Ministry ............................................................page Preschool Ministry ............................................................page FBC School & EEC ..............................................................page From Troy’s Heart ..............................................................page

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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CHURCH-WIDE CALENDAR

JULY -

2 4 7 7 9-13 21 28

Piece Makers 9:00am Church Office/EEC Closed for holiday Lord’s Supper Both Services Deacon’s Meeting 2:00pm Camp Tejas Preteen Camp Connecting @ FBC 9:45am Churchwide Business Meeting 4:00pm

Student Center Room 111 Gym Gym

For more information on any of the above events please visit the church website: www.fbc-brenham.org www.facebook.com/BrenhamsFirstBaptistChurch

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FROM PASTOR ROSS I want to give you a summer update on our relocation. Currently, our architects are working on construction documents on the shell (dried-in) of our Phase One buildings. The construction documents are detailed drawings needed by everyone in the construction process.

Once these documents are created, they will be used in the permitting process with the city of Brenham and the bidding process with subcontractors. After the permitting and bidding process takes place, we will know when we can start building. Knowing this process is taking place right now has led me to more concentrated praying about this important next step in the life of the church. I want to invite you to pray as well. Prayer is the ultimate key to our relocation process.

When we pray, we reveal our dependence on God and desire for Him to be glorified.

Will you join me in praying? Pray for the pricing of materials. Pray for wisdom for our architects (CMA) and our construction management firm (Goff Companies). Pray for financial provision. Pray for the work of the Relocation Committee and me. Most importantly, pray that God will be glorified in the building process and in the completed building.

MOTHER’S DAY OUT MDO is still enrolling for the 2019-20 school year. Classes are filling up fast.

If you would like more information or would like to set up a tour, contact Kristie at mdo@fbc-Brenham.org or contact the church office.

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MUSIC MINISTRY Hi church family!

I thought I would share a remarkable story involving the hymn, “There is Power in the Blood”, as written in a book by Robert J. Morgan titled, Then Sings My Soul.

This story got me to thinking about how many times (too numerous to count) that God has brought a song to my heart and mind at just the right time to minister in or through me in that specific moment! I’m also reminded of David’s expression in Psalm 40: “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.

Be encouraged by this awesome testimony!

Charles One day as missionary Dick Hillis preached in a Chinese village, his sermon was suddenly interrupted by a piercing cry. Everyone rushed toward the scream, and Dick’s coworker, Mr. Kong, whispered that an evil spirit had seized a man. Dick, having not previously encountered demon possession, didn’t believe him.

Just then, a woman rushed toward them. “I beg you help me!” she cried. An evil spirit has again possessed the father of my children and is trying to kill him.”

The two evangelists entered the house, stepping over a filthy old dog lying in the doorway. The room was charged with a sense of evil. “An evil spirit has possessed Farmer Ho,” Kong told the onlookers. “Our God, the ‘Nothing-He-Cannot-Do One’ is more powerful than any spirit, and He can deliver this man. First, you must promise you will burn your idols and trust in Jesus, son of the Supreme Emperor.”

The people nodded. Kong asked Dick to begin singing the hymn, “There is Power in the Blood.” With great hesitation, Dick began to sing, “Would you be free from your burden of sin ....”

“Now,” continued Kong, “in the name of Jesus we will command the evil spirit to leave this man.” Kong began praying fervently. Suddenly, the old dog in the doorway vaulted into the air, screeching, yelping, whirling in circles snapping wildly at his tail.

Kong continued praying, and the dog abruptly dropped over dead.

Instantly Dick remembered Luke 8, the demons of the Gadarenes who invisibly flew into the herd of swine. As Kong finished praying, Farmer Ho seemed quiet and relaxed, and soon he was strong enough to burn his idols. At his baptism shortly afterward, he testified, “I was possessed by an evil spirit who boasted he had already killed five people and was going to kill me. But God sent Mr. Kong at just the right moment, and in Jesus I am free.”

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THANK YOUS & SYMPATHIES Dear Church Family, We would like to thank all of you at the First Baptist Church for the lovely plants and all the expressions of your love and sympathy for our family for the loss of our Mother, Virginia McCoy. Mother’s Church family meant so much to her and was such a large part of her life. We will always remember the thoughtful expressions of sympathy and all that was done to make her service such a touching one.

Thank you again, Family of Virginia McCoy Thank you church family so very much for the plant, cards, phone calls and prayers that we received after Gene’s passing. Thank you to the Agape Sunday School class for the lunch you provided before his funeral service.

We are so grateful for the love and kindness that we have been shown during this difficult time for our family.

Billie Cooper Kristie & Luis Mendoza, Kinsley & Landry

SYMPATHIES: -McCoy family in the loss of Virginia McCoy. -Cooper & Mendoza Families in the loss of Gene Cooper -Angela Dalrymple and family in the loss of her mother, Joanne Hackly.

Chad Marrs delivered gifts to our friends in Malaysia in June. Piece Makers sent fleece bears and fish pillows as well as fabric for skirts and sewing projects for the children.

If you would like to make a difference through sewing, please join us! We meet in the FBC Student Center from 9 am to 4 pm on the first Tuesday of each month. All are welcome!

PIECE MAKERS

BIBLE STUDIES & MORE

Men’s Prayer Breakfast Studying “Deuteronomy” Wednesdays, 6:00am Sycamore House

Sweet Hour of Prayer Thursdays, 10:00am Sycamore House Garage

HOME TEAM GROUPS ·Scott and Tricia Schroeder – 620 Country Place W., Meets 1st & 3rd Sunday at 5pm. ·Roger and Juanita Atkins – 9250 Lake Dr. Chappell Hill, Meeting one Sunday a month. Please call 281-389-2859 to confirm meeting time. ·Rick and Diane Houston – 808 Spinn, Every other Sunday at 7:00pm ·Ronnie and Debbie Fathauer – 1607 Longhofer, Meets 2nd & 4th Wednesday at 6:00pm. ·Widows & Single Ladies – Pahl House, 1st & 3rd Monday at 6:00pm.

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SMALL GROUP, BIG NEWS At BFBC we place a high value on meeting together in small groups! In an article in Christianity Today entitled, “4 Reasons Small Groups are Vital to Your Churches Health”, we learn that small groups…

1. Are places of personal discovery.

2. Are places of togetherness.

3. Are places of accountability.

4. Are places of maximum participation.

If you are not already attending one of our small groups, we encourage you to take the next step in your spiritual growth and commit to attend!

If you want more information, contact tsikes@fbc-brenham.org.

ENCORE MINISTRY NEWS

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A LETTER FROM REBA Dear Friends, As I sit down to write this morning I am thinking about the upcoming holiday we celebrate in America every July 4th, our independence. I along with many Americans are saddened at the path our countries leaders are taking our country. As I was thinking about this it took me back to when I was a child and attended Vacation Bible School and we learned a lot of Bible during that two weeks. As I was back there in my memories, I began to think about the pledges we said every morning in the chapel time. Let me refresh them for you.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

2 Corinthians 3:17

Pledge to the Christian Flag: “I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag and to the Savior for whose kingdom it stands, one brotherhood uniting all Christians in service and love.” This was written in 1908 by a Methodist minister Lynn Harold Hough.

Pledge to the Holy Bible: I pledge to the Bible, God’s Holy word, and will take it as a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path, and hide its words in my heart that I may not sin against God.” This was written by Charles Overton This brought me to this scripture found in 2 Chronicles 7:14-15. “If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

What a promise that is! Isn’t it about time we begin to take some responsibility in our country’s status and do something to turn it back around to God. Even if you are unable to get out and about as you once could, you can call on God from wherever you are and pray for our country and our leaders as well.

Sometimes we put limits on what we think God can do, but that is not what our Bible teaches us.

My prayer for us is that we take a more active part in praying for our church and its leaders, our families, our country and its leaders, our military who guarantee us the freedom to “God who gave us life, gave us liberty. worship as we please. Celebrate Can the liberties of a nation be secure independence in when we have removed a conviction a great way this year! that these liberties are a gift of God?” Blessings,

-Thomas Jefferson

STUDENT MINISTRY WiRED Camp 2019 was the best ever! Not because the food was great… because it wasn’t. Not because I slept well.. because I didn’t. (The mattresses were only 1 ¼ inch thick.) What makes a camp great is when the Lord shows up and does something we could never do in our own power. I have been praying that God would change our students lives. He broke down walls in our students lives this week and brought real change. All Praise to The Lord! We had three students come to know Jesus personally for the first time in their lives and others turn back to Him and show their need for Him. Please be in prayer because I know He is still working on others.

I cannot begin to thank you enough church family for the support for our student ministry in prayer and in financial support. I know some students would not have been able to go this week without the help they received from the outpouring of your generosity in the Men’s Cake Bake and your continued prayers.

As I stood at the front of camp at the end of one of the services and saw student after student come forward I was brought to tears and completely humbled. I got to see the Lord do what only He could do. It is a huge temptation to think that the only way change can happen is to have one more better program, one more better service, or just implement that one X-factor. Sometimes we just need to get out of the way and “let God.” I believe He wants this for our church as well. Let’s get out of His way, trust Him in all areas of our lives and sit back and see Him bring down walls that may be hindering us from reaching many for His Kingdom!

In Him, Bro. Chad

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CHILDREN’S MINISTRY “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3 NIV) Good Morning, “Power Up! Raise Your Game!” This was the theme and motto of our Vacation Bible School this year.

The challenge was to take your relationship to the next level no matter what level you were currently on. For one person, they decided to step up and begin a brand new relationship with Jesus Christ by accepting Him as their Lord and Savior. For others, it may have been to start reading the Bible daily, or praying at lunchtime or committing to serve God in a new ministry. I am not entirely certain how the 170 children or 70 volunteers decided to Power Up to the next level in their relationship with God, but I can’t wait to see the results here in Brenham as they Raise Their Game in Christ. It was a great start to witness our mission offering get a Power Up when an anonymous family supplemented the offering of $2,189.01 with $1,900 in order to allow our partners in Africa to drill a water well for a community. The cost of a full well is $4,000-$5,000 and our church school already donated almost $1,000. It is so great to see God at work as He Raises Our Game. Thank you to all who played a part in Vacation Bible School this year. “Power Up” with Christ, and allow Him to “Raise Your Game!”

His Servant & Yours, Bro. Alex

Thank you to EVERYONE who helped plan, coordinate, decorate and execute Vacation Bible School. It was a successful year because God used you all greatly!

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PRESCHOOL MINISTRIES Memory Verse:

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your rule is for all generations.”

Psalm 145:13a

Big Picture Question:

How is Jesus the perfect King?

Jesus perfectly rules over everything.

Family Starting Points:

-Jesus is our King.

-Jesus has power to fight sin and death.

-Jesus shows us mercy when we do not deserve it.

-God sent Jesus through David’s family.

-One day, Jesus will eat with us at His table.

-Jesus came to forgive us from our wrong choices.

-God shows His goodness and faithful love to us.

SANDY WINKELMAN 7/05

SILAS JOHNSTON 7/8

STEPHANIE SHEFFIELD 7/13

JILL BEARDEN 07/21

VERA COVIN 7/21

JILL WALLACE 7/25

LINDA UPCHURCH 7/26

JOSHUA REYNOLDS 07/26

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FBC SCHOOL & EEC Summer has not slowed us down! EEC has had a great time loving on the kids and providing summer fun. We have over 130 children in our care during the summer months. Our staff is doing a fantastic job planning activities and loving on these kiddos! The best part is the kids are having fun!

During July, we continue to make plans for the 2019-2020 school year. We are still accepting enrollment for next year. Space is limited in our three and four-year-old classes, and we have room to grow in our kindergarten and elementary classes. Our kindergarten program will be full day this year, and we are excited about that. Please help spread the word about the opportunity to join the FBCS & EEC family. We are happy to give tours and visit with anyone interested in learning more about this ministry. They may call the school office to set up an appointment.

Lastly, I’d like to thank Cherry Fratus for her faithful leadership as our Early Education Center director. Over the past four years, she has poured into the lives of many families. Her dedication and work ethic sets a high bar. She is leaving due to God’s calling to invest in her own family during this next season of her life. She will be missed here at work, but we will see her when she drops her kids off and at church! Please pray for Cherry and her sweet family as they seek to be obedient to the Lord.

Pray for guidance and discernment as our team seeks to follow Him through the planning process for the 2019-2020 school year!

Need: We are planning our in-service. If you have an education background and would like to share with our staff, please contact Nancy.

Thank you to Cherry Fratus and Megan Pritchard for faithful leadership as our Early Education Center leaders. They serve this FBC ministry well. They have worked so hard to make FBCS & EEC a place our community loves and trusts!

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FROM TROY’S HEART When I was a kid, I loved to listen to stories. For hours, I would sit with my Nanny on the front porch swing as she would tell stories about her childhood, cotton farming and the Depression. She was born in 1898 so she had a lot to say!

Those stories and the people who lived them shaped my childhood and formed my values!

As I look around my office, I see the stories of my life and I am grateful.

On my walls are… ·Educational degrees where I learned perseverance, truth and a few things about good sentence structure. ·Running pictures, bibs and medals where I learned the power of the first step and mental fortitude. ·Family pictures that remind me of memorable moments, but moreover, the love and blessedness of God. What did I do to deserve such great people?

On my desk are… ·Books and papers related to my job, my calling and my relationship to the people of this church. God’s story and my story are connected to your story and what a story we are telling!! ·A computer and a cell phone that remind me just how incredible technology can aid in ministry. When I first started in ministry, all I had to connect with people was a corded telephone, a rolodex and a pad of paper and a pen. The secretary did have a typewriter! ·Bibles that tell the greatest story of all time, God’s love for each and every one of us!

Take some time today and look around you. I bet you will see some incredible stories!

I love you, Troy

Brenham’s First Baptist Church P. O. Box 600 Brenham, TX 77834-0600

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